The National Weather Service is warning about extreme cold that will descend into eastern North Carolina Sunday night into Monday.
A Cold Weather Advisory is now in effect from 6 p.m. Sunday to 9 a.m. Monday for all of ENC due to the likelihood of wind chill values (“feels like” temperatures) falling as low as 5 degrees above zero.
On Hatteras and Ocracoke Islands, overnight air temperatures are forecast to fall into the mid- to upper 20s, but sustained northerly winds will drive wind chill values much lower. A National Weather Service graphic above indicates wind chills on the Outer Banks could fall into the single digits to low teens late Sunday night through Monday morning.
The coldest conditions are expected between midnight and about 9 a.m. Monday, when wind chill values on Hatteras and Ocracoke may hover near 11 to 14 degrees. Inland areas of eastern North Carolina are forecast to experience even colder conditions, with some locations seeing wind chills closer to 5 degrees.
Wind chills are expected to gradually improve late Monday morning into the afternoon, though temperatures will remain below normal for mid-December.
Residents and visitors on Hatteras and Ocracoke Islands are encouraged to take precautions, including allowing pipes to drip to prevent freezing, limiting outdoor exposure during the coldest hours, and checking on vulnerable individuals and pets as the cold weather moves in.
A quilt made from Ocracoke T-shirts will be raffled on Dec. 15. Photo courtesy of Ocracoke Island Realty.
Funds raised from Ocracoke Island Realty’s annual quilt raffle go to their Christmas Cheer program that helps needy families.
Rental Manage Kari Styron said the program identifies need and giving can take the form of a gift card at the Variety Store, help with utility bills, toys, or wherever it’s needed.
The company donated 10 Thanksgiving dinners to the Bread of Life Food Pantry recently, she said.
The quilt is made from vintage and new Ocracoke T-shirts.
“It’s a little bit of Ocracoke you can have at home,” she said.
The price of raffle tickets is $10 each or 3 tickets for $25 and the drawing will be held Dec. 15.
To participate, Call OIR at 252-928-6261 to add the cost of tickets to an existing reservation, or, purchase by mailing a check to: Ocracoke Island Realty, PO Box 238, Ocracoke, NC 27960.
Note in the memo: “Christmas Cheer Raffle.”
All funds raised are matched by Ocracoke Island Realty.
Hyde County is launching a Citizens Academy, a free educational program designed by local governments to teach citizens how their local government operates.
The academy has three main goals: to improve participants’ knowledge of local government operations and funding; to increase citizen involvement; and to improve community relations by fostering open communication and dialogue between citizens and county staff.
The 12 sessions will be held on weeknights in the Hyde County Government Services Building from 5:30 to 7 p.m. starting Jan. 6 through Feb. 3, and applications are due by Dec. 15.
If someone can not commit to the full program, they can still join for specific sessions they are interested in. If they can commit to the full program, there will be a recognition ceremony with presentation of a certificate by Hyde County Manager Kris Noble.
The program will teach how your local government is organized, how services are funded and then delivered, and decision-making processes through first-hand experience and exposure.
County leaders from every department will discuss how their programs operate, allowing you to engage in conversations with them about the processes.
This program has been designed and administered by Elena Williamson, a recent NC State University graduate and your 2025-2026 Lead for NC Fellow. For more information, contact her at ewilliamson@hydecountync.gov or 252-926-4191.
For those who register and cannot attend in person, a Zoom link will be sent to participate remotely. All sessions will be recorded for use as on demand informational material (i.e. recommended watch video #3 on Tax Exemptions if a citizen has a tax related question).
Williams said they will polish the recordings and can edit out specific questions or comments if participants do not wish to be shown.
It’s looking like Christmas on Ocracoke when Heather Johnson, left, and Claire Senseney sell their homemade wreaths out of local cedar greens on the first Sunday in December. Photo: C. Leinbach/Ocracoke Observer
Tuesday, Dec. 9 Women’s Christmas Potluck & Gift Exchange, 6 pm. Community Center. Bring a dish to share and a friend. Optional: a gift to exchange and a donation for a charity.
Wednesday, Dec. 10 Roanoke Island Animal clinic sees patients in the Community Center. Call 252-473-3117 for appointments and check Facebook for last minute changes.
Island Trivia: 1718 Brewing Ocracoke, 6 to 8 pm. Also on Dec. 17 and then off for a couple of months.
Thursday, Dec. 11: OVFD meeting, 6 pm. Volunteers always needed and welcome. Ocracoke Alive annual membership meeting. Those wishing to join are welcome. Desserts, 7 pm, Deepwater Theater
Friday, Dec. 12 Ocracoke School varsity basketball at home against Washington Montessori, 4 pm; followed by Homecoming. Note earlier start time.
Saturday, Dec. 13 Ocracoke School 3v3 Tournament in the gym, 11am. See flyer below.
Shave Shack Christmas Party. Ornament decorating; letters to Santa. 5:30 pm. Drop off new toys for the Shave Shack’s Toy Drive. See flyer below.
1718 Brewing Ocracoke: Brooke & Nick, 7 pm
Ocracoke Oyster Company, Ray Murray, 7 pm
Sunday, Dec. 14: Church services: Ocracoke United Methodist Church, 11 am
Ocracoke Life Saving Church, 11 am
Stella Maris Chapel: Sunday Mass time at 4:30 p.m. unless otherwise noted. Go to Masstimes.org and type in the zip code 27960 but refresh your browser for it to work properly.
Christmas caroling. Starts at 3 pm at the Ocracoke United Methodist Church (OUMC). Spaghetti dinner follows at 5 pm.
Ocracoke’s Bread of Life Food Pantry took home more than $20,000 on Dec. 5 after a raffle that included two of best-selling author Patricia Cornwell’s books ended.
The raffle was conducted by Leslie Lanier, owner of the island’s bookstore Books to be Red, after Cornwell herself made a surprise visit to the shop on earlier in the week.
Patricia Cornwell superfan Mary Ellen Piland picks a winning raffle ticket for one of two autographed copies of Cornwell’s new book on Dec. 5 in Ocracoke Island’s Books to be Red. Owner Leslie Lanier, at left, records each winner’s name. Photo: C. Leinbach/Ocracoke Observer
She gave two autographed copies to Lanier, who decide to raffle them off for the benefit of the island’s food pantry operated by the Life Saving Church.
When Cornwell heard about the raffle, she then offered to match sales up to $10,000
Word spread on social media and Lanier found herself filling out more than 4,000 tickets from internet and Venmo sales for a total of $10,590.
“I had customers, sorority sisters, church friends, high school friends, elementary school friends, friends from Ocracoke, residents, former residents and the list goes on,” Lanier said about the myriad ticket buyers, whom she thanked. “That’s a lot of tickets.”
She also added several items from her shop to the raffle.
A few islanders were on hand to help choose the winners. As Piland, Ruth Toth and Karen Lovejoy drew the winning tickets, Lanier seemed to know almost all of them.
One of the winners, Kathie Hollingshead, who won a dish towel and cutting board, gave a “huge donation,” Lanier said, and she told Lanier to call her to let her know “how much was left because we were so close (to $10,000).”
“We’re just astounded by the kindness of everyone,” said Life Saving Church Pastor Tim Howard about the event. “It’s just really, really unbelievable. Truly amazing.”
Life Saving Church Pastor Tim Howard, right, witnesses the raffle drawing. Books to be Red owner Leslie Lanier presents the tub containing more than 5,000 raffle tickets. Photo: C. Leinbach/Ocracoke Observer
Islanders Allison Serafin and Crystal Hardt won the two Cornwell books and 11 others (including Mangus) received the items Lanier had contributed from the shop.
Serafin was excited to have won because she loves Cornwell.
“I’ve read her books for years,” she said. “Leslie’s bookstore is part of the heart of this island. Everybody comes through there because everybody reads and wants good books.”
The Ocracoke pantry receives food from the Food Bank of the Albemarle in Elizabeth City and like all food pantries, Ocracoke’s pantry needs money.
Howard said the fundraiser was timely but while the pantry was doing well at the moment, they hadn’t been able to get as much from Albemarle.
He’s hoping to source more food from inside the island, acknowledging the recent food drives by the Future Business Leaders of America Club, the Ocracoke School Beta Club and the United Methodist Church for nonperishable items.
Ocracoke Island Realty donated 10 Thanksgiving dinners. Others have sent money, which enables him to buy meat and other frozen items from local grocers.
“We’re not out of meat but we’re starting to get low,” he said.
Ruth Toth chooses a ticket. Photo: C. Leinbach/Ocracoke Observer
With cash, the food pantry can purchase meat: chicken breasts, ground beef and sometime steaks.
The pantry serves 10 to 12 island families each month, he said.
Howard said visitors to the island are welcome to drop off unused groceries on the pantry’s front porch as they depart.
Those wishing to donate perishable items should call Howard in advance at 304-676-3308 so that these items can be stored properly.
You can also have food shipped directly to the pantry by visiting the pantry food list on Amazon.
Anyone wishing to make a tax-deductible donation may do so online at www.lifesaving.church or mail a check to Bread of Life Food Pantry, P.O. Box 68, Ocracoke, NC 27960.
Books to be Red owner Leslie Lanier with author Patricia Cornwell. Photo by Valerie Jones
Raffle items in Books to be Red.
The Bread of Life Food Pantry. Photo: P. Vankevich/Ocracoke Observer
As the north end of Ocracoke continues to be overwashed during King Tides and nor’easters, the Hyde County Board of Commissioners has asked Gov. Josh Stein to step in.
During its November board meeting, the commissioners approved sending a resolution and Board Chair Randal Mathews sent a letter to Stein asking him to address “the imminent failure” of North Carolina Highway 12 on Ocracoke Island.
“This is no longer a matter of infrastructure,” he wrote. “It is an emergency threatening the very viability of our community. Recent and devastating storm damage has pushed this critical roadway past its breaking point. Highway 12, our singular, fragile connection to the mainland, is facing catastrophic collapse. Its loss would instantly:
Maroon our residents, cutting off life-saving emergency medical services and essential supplies.
Decimate the economy,ending tourism to our island abruptly and causing irreparable financial ruin for our local businesses.
“We cannot afford to wait. Every passing storm brings us closer to complete isolation. We must secure Ocracoke Island now.”
Mathews asked the state to immediately repair the sandbags at the north end and begin a beach nourishment study.
Then, he asked for immediate implementation of beach nourishment in the overwash area,
“This beach nourishment project will buy Ocracoke and the state of North Carolina valuable time to develop a long-term plan,” he said.
Next needed is fast-track development of long-term alternatives for this section of the island.
“Governor, the situation is critical,” Mathews wrote. “We implore you to treat this as an immediate state-level emergency. Your decisive action is required to prevent a full-scale disaster on Ocracoke Island.”
Mathews said he hadn’t heard from Stein, and the county sent a similar letter to Anthony Lathrop Chairman of the North Carolina Board of Transportation. See the letters below.
Several weeks ago, Dare County asked the state to declare an emergency on Hatteras Island, where houses are falling into the ocean, and for Ocracoke’s north end.
In late October, North Carolina State Senator Bobby Hanig (R-SD 1) submitted a written request to Gov. Josh Stein urging the declaration of a State of Emergency for portions of North Carolina’s Outer Banks, specifically N.C. Highway 12 on Hatteras to Ocracoke Islands, in response to accelerating erosion and the resulting infrastructure damage in the Buxton and northern Ocracoke Island areas
“I expect Dare and Hyde will continue to pursue some type of emergency proclamation,” Mathews said. “The condition of NC12 is impacting our health and safety at least part of the time.”
Ferry operations/funding North Carolina Ferry Division leaders say more than $92 million in new state funding is needed to maintain service, modernize key infrastructure, and prevent breakdowns across the nation’s second-largest state-run ferry system.
The division operates 23 ferries and 11 support vessels on eight routes carrying about 1.47 million passengers per year. A 2020 analysis found the system supports roughly $735 million in statewide economic activity.
Several senators on the committee questioned the scale of the funding proposal and the state’s long-standing subsidies for ferry operations.
Sen. Bill Rabon, a Republican from Brunswick County, argued that ferry subsidies for Ocracoke residents have reached an excessive level.
“We’re spending about $25,000 per person, per year to support 700 people on Ocracoke,” Rabon said. “These numbers don’t add up, and we cannot ignore them.”
Following that and other comments, Hyde County Manager Kris Noble and Mathews met with the OCBA, the director of the Ocracoke Alliance and the director of the Tourism Development Authority to devise a joint plan of action and subsequent marketing/outreach campaign to counteract misconceptions about Ocracoke and rally for support to keep our access as an extension of the NCDOT Highway system.
Hyde County will plan a trip to Raleigh in late April/early May to educate the NC General Assembly and staffers on the transportation challenges for Ocracoke and advocate for investment in resilient solutions for island transportation.
That date has not yet been set due to the uncertainty of the NCGA calendar.
South Dock stabilization Hyde County continues to advocate for the South Dock Ferry Terminal to be stabilized. After community and county input, this option was added to a slate of options for solutions to erosion issues at South Dock and is now being more closely investigated.
“Hyde County will continue to support this as a solution moving forward and will engage with federal, state and foundational agencies to advocate for this option,” Noble said.
Home elevation Mathews said in an interview that while Hyde County is the facilitator for the next round of home elevations, it forwards all applications to the state.
Start dates have not been set.
Last year, 30 homes on Ocracoke were raised, and that took five years (after Dorian flooding).
One hundred applications have been submitted, but this is a state program funded through FEMA, which approves the elevations, he said. So, it’s not state or county making the decisions for each home.
The contractor that is awarded the bid works with the list of homeowners to determine when the house is raised. Some homeowners asked for extra time since they needed to relocate temporarily which can bump someone down the list as opposed to someone who is able to relocate with short notice.
The state has informed Hyde County that no contractor bids have been awarded, and it may be two years or more before elevations begin, Mathews said.
Hyde County does not receive any regular updates from the state or federal agencies.
Hannah Elkins is the grant administrator and is very knowledgeable in matters related to home elevations. She can be reached at 252-926-4191.
When Hyde knows the schedule, it will be announced.
The raffle items at Books to be Red on Ocracoke. Photo: C. Leinbach/Ocracoke Observer
Ticket sales will end today (Dec. 4) at 6 p.m. and the drawing will be held at 4 p.m. on Friday, Dec. 5.
By Connie Leinbach
It’s not every day that the raffling of a famous author’s book goes off the rails.
That’s what happened in late November when best-selling author Patricia Cornwell visited Ocracoke with some friends and dropped in to the island’s bookstore, Books to be Red.
Owner Leslie Lanier said she had about a 15-minute heads up but that the only copy of Cornwell’s latest book, “Sharp Force,” had just been sold and she didn’t have one for when Cornwell would show up.
When Cornwell did show up, her friends introduced her to Lanier.
“She was kind and generous,” Lanier said. “She immediately just handed me two signed books and said one’s for you and one’s for whatever you want to do with it.”
Lanier thought maybe it might be good to raffle one off with proceeds going to the Bread of Life Food Pantry at the Life Saving Church.
“I was hoping we might make $500, and it has just blown up into something much bigger,” she said.
That something was Cornwell herself offering to match ticket sales up to $10,000.
Now, sales of the $2 raffle tickets are nearly $6,000 with in-person and a huge number of online sales via their Facebook page.
“That’s a lot of tickets,” Lanier said, who also added several items from her shop to the raffle.
Ticket sales will end today (Dec. 4) at 6 p.m. and the drawing will be held at 4 p.m. on Friday, Dec. 5.
Lanier also takes PayPal and Venmo. Call her at 252-921-0468.
Like all food pantries, Ocracoke’s needs money.
The Ocracoke pantry receives food from the Food Bank of the Albemarle in Elizabeth City.
Life Saving Church Pastor Tim Howard was thrilled with the fundraiser.
“This is very timely,” he said, noting that Ocracoke’s food pantry was doing well at the moment but noted that they hadn’t been able to get as much from Albemarle.
He’s hoping to source more food from inside the island, acknowledging the recent food drives by the Future Business Leaders of America Club and the United Methodist Church for nonperishable items.
And Ocracoke Island Realty donated 10 Thanksgiving dinners.
But money gives him a way to buy meat and other frozen items from local grocers.
“We’re not out of meat but we’re starting to get low,” he said.
With cash, the food pantry can purchase meat: chicken breasts, ground beef and sometime steaks.
The pantry serves 10 to 12 island families each month, he said.
Howard said visitors to the island are welcome to drop off unused groceries on the pantry’s front porch as they depart.
Those wishing to donate perishable items should call Howard at 304-676-3308 in advance so that these items can be stored properly. You can also have food shipped directly to the pantry by visiting the pantry food list on Amazon.
Santa will be at the Ocracoke Variety Store for rides and refreshments from 4:30 to 6 pm Thursday, Dec. 4. Photo: C. Leinbach/Ocracoke Observer
For what’s open and closed on Ocracoke, click here.
Tuesday, Dec. 2 Cold-stunned sea turtle patrol volunteer training by the National Park Service and N.E.S.T., 10 am. Community Center. Open to all who want to help locate cold-stunned sea turtles that wash up on Ocracoke’s sound and ocean sides.
Ocracoke Preservation Society Wassail party, tree lighting and quilt raffle. Christmas carol singing. Bring a sweet to share. 4:30 to 6:30 pm. Postponed to Monday, Dec. 8. Same time.
Wednesday, Dec. 3 Hyde County Board of Commissioners, 6 pm. Livestreamed in the Community Center. See agenda below.
Thursday, Dec. 4 Santa Claus arrives at the Ocracoke Variety Store, 4:30 to 6 pm, featuring rides on Santa’s sleigh, live music with Kate McNally and Lou Castro and cookies and hot chocolate.
Ocracoke Decoy Carvers Guild meeting, 7 pm. Community Center.
Friday, Dec, 5 Raffle drawing for two autographed copies of Patricia Cornwell’s new book, “Sharp Force,” at Books to be Red.
Saturday, Dec. 6 Holiday Cookie Exchange, 10 am. Ocracoke Community Library. Bring cookies to share and take home the same number of assorted cookies. Bring a container to take them home.
Ocracoke Oyster Company: Ray Murray, 7 pm
Ocracoke Preservation Society gift shop closes at 2 p.m. for the season.
Sunday, Dec. 7 Church services: Ocracoke United Methodist Church, 11 am
Ocracoke Life Saving Church, 11 am
Stella Maris Chapel: Sunday Mass time at 4:30 p.m. unless otherwise noted. Go to Masstimes.org and type in the zip code 27960 but refresh your browser for it to work properly.
David Tweedie, executive director of Ocracoke Alive, plays the violin inside his home on Howard Street.
By Patty Huston-Holm
On a morning nearing the first day of spring, a lingering winter chill evident outside the kitchen from where he sat, David Tweedie picked up a four-string violin and began to play.
Sitting on a nearby table was a small black-and-white photo of his late grandmother, Julie Streicher, youthful, smiling and holding her violin, the same four-string that Tweedie was playing. A colorful rendition of an anonymous violin/fiddle player hung within view on a wall.
“A gift from my board after a festival,” he said, nodding at the painting created by an artist at an event produced by Ocracoke Alive.
The tune he played was “Blizard Train,” popularized by Ralph Blizard, a legendary, long-bow fiddler who died in 2004. Such old-time bluegrass and Celtic-style tunes are most often on Tweedie’s playlist, frequently heard when he plays as a member of the Molasses Creek band.
A resident of Ocracoke Island for three decades, Tweedie’s musical life has both firm roots in the past and a strong foundation in the present.
He has great respect for musicians like Blizard and the New Southern Ramblers and his classical violinist grandmother.
The late Julie Streicher holds the violin that her grandson, David Tweedie, still plays today.
In the present, with an eye toward the future of the music he loves, he is the executive director of Ocracoke Alive, an organization promoting engagement with the arts and varied learning opportunities for all island residents and visitors of all ages.
Tweedie, 53, is married to Amy Howard, an island native who manages the Village Craftsmen, a shop that sells fine American-made crafts. The shop sits next to the Tweedie-Howard home, on a street that bears Amy’s family name. Her parents, Julie Howard and Philip Howard, still reside on the island.
An average day for Tweedie is difficult to describe as it varies by need.
On this day, he sandwiched this interview with Ocracoke Alive’s new winter offerings on topics related to art, music, cooking, and nature with planning upcoming Earth Day events, the Ocrafolk Festival, Arts Week in Ocracoke School and more.
That evening, he would personally lead a free public session on bagel making.
“I’m not a trained cook or baker,” he said. “But I like to do it and like sharing what I know with others.”
Tweedie plays the concertina and violin, but the latter is his favorite and where his expertise lies. He started violin lessons at age 10. He went to school in the shadow of an older sister who excelled academically while he was noticed as a performing artist.
A native of Oklahoma, Tweedie’s mother was a child-development specialist, and his father worked as a university geography professor. The family traveled to places like Egypt, Greece and Scotland, where his sister lives.
Before and after his graduation from Davidson College, Mecklenburg County, with studies in theater, anthropology and folklore, Tweedie was awarded a fellowship to study fiddling in Scotland and Ireland.
He frequented Ocracoke Island as a guest and later as a performer with the Molasses Creek band, which he co-founded with Gary Mitchell.
While Tweedie was visiting Ocracoke, Amy Howard caught his eye and then his heart. They have a son, Lachlan Howard, 20, a sophomore at the Cleveland (Ohio) School of Art.
Tweedie’s love of music keeps him playing, recording and recognizing other performance talent that he orchestrates for festivals on Ocracoke.
“I’m the only Alive employee,” he joked. At that, his executive directorship of roughly 1,000 hours a year is part-time. He was volunteering in that role for 12 years until Ocracoke Alive became a 501(c)3 non-profit in 2010.
Ocracoke Alive is an outgrowth of Ocracoke Players, a community theater group that grew from a 1974 “Tale of Blackbeard” musical written by Tweedie’s mother-in-law Julie Howard.
The Deepwater Theater building on School Road serves as the organization’s classroom and performance space while larger events happen elsewhere in the village.
While Ocracoke Alive serves all ages, the organization is especially tuned in to the need for arts education in the island school that, like many schools nationwide, lacks funding for such programs. The biggest Alive challenge is resources—both money and people.
“We tend to have overworked volunteers,” Tweedie said. “I’m always looking for more.”
“The only time when Alive slacks off a bit is in July and August,” Tweedie said.
In those months, David and Amy conduct their ghost- and history-walk tours for tourists, and he might be involved in a baking activity, likely at the Back Porch restaurant where he bakes desserts.
“An island atmosphere is unique,” Tweedie said. “This island is especially special with so much talent. But like the rest of the world, we can go into our social-media rabbit holes and forget the value of in-person human connections.”
The face-to-face interaction on Ocracoke became important in the aftermath of Hurricane Dorian (September 2019).
“I realized then that we are a huge extended family here,” he said. “Even if we are at loggerheads on an issue, people are generous about what they know and how they can help one another.”
William M Mitchell, 96, of Burlington, passed away peacefully on Monday, Nov. 24, 2025, surrounded by the love of his family. He will be remembered as a man of unwavering character who truly lived the belief that a good life is built through hard work, generosity, and love.
Youngest of five children of William and Katherine Mitchell, Bill was born in Leaksville (now Eden), N.C., and was preceded in death by his beloved wife, Sara Jane, and their youngest son, David Mitchell. Bill is survived by his two sons, William Mitchell III and Gary Steven Mitchell of Ocracoke, seven grandchildren—Sara, Barbara, Justin, Mathew, Steven, Amber, and Katy—and 11 great-grandchildren.
The son of a millworker, Bill grew up in east Burlington during the throes of the Great Depression, and graduated from Broad Street High School in 1947. It was there that he met his high school sweetheart, Sara Jane Smith, to whom he was married for 72 extraordinary years. He made a wonderful career working for Western Electric in Burlington, starting in the cafeteria as a young man and rising to Department Chief at AT&T before he retired, making his way up the ranks through hard work and a trustworthy, unflinching character. His work took the family on adventures all across the country to Kansas, California, Massachusetts and New Jersey before ultimately returning home to North Carolina.
Bill and Jane enjoyed retirement, owning a home in the mountains and at the coast. His hobbies and interests included vegetable gardening, playing golf, touring the country in an RV, playing puzzles, and cheering for his beloved favorite team (the UNC Tar Heels, of course).
Up until Bill was 95 years old he competed in many events at The N.C. Senior Games, winning over 100 medals, including four times State Billiards champion. Also, at the age of 94 he decided to try skydiving (because George H.W. Bush did it at 90) and had a wonderful time!
His strong sense of Christian values, honesty, generosity and love of his family have been a continuing inspiration, and he will be greatly missed.
A memorial service will be held at 2 p.m., Sunday, Nov. 30, in the Funeral Home, S. Church St., Burlington. Visitation at 1 pm.
Donations in Bill’s honor may be made to: The Kernodle Senior Center, 1535 S. Mebane St., Burlington, NC
